Build a Culture That Stops to Fix Problems 175

Chapter 8. Build a Culture That Stops to Fix Problems 175

Case Example: Stopping the Line Is More Than a Cord with Lights and Bells

By David Meier The following situation occurred in an automotive assembly plant that

I coached in the lean methods, which was run by one of the U.S. automakers. This situation was extremely difficult for someone condi- tioned in the Toyota Way, and I felt severe anxiety. The Toyota Way conditioning is similar to that of Pavlov’s famous dogs. I have been conditioned to search out potential problems and to respond when called. Even though I was not in a Toyota Way facility and was not responsible for this situation, I responded the Toyota Way.

I realized I had this condition sometime after leaving Toyota. As I tour other work areas, I am constantly aware of potential problems and the need to take corrective action even before a “problem” surfaces.

I notice also, with dismay, that the leadership in these facilities seems “blissfully oblivious” to the conditions around them. We walk past cur- rent problems and potential problems as if they weren’t there. My mind is screaming, “Wait, here is a problem. It must be dealt with or the consequence will be large.” Then I realize that the problem is “cov- ered” and is lost in the “clouds.” There is no immediate urgency to correct it. I also realize there are so many problems that I would be overwhelmed. Then I recognize that leadership is in fact overwhelmed, and that there is no support structure. Problems happen all around and people do their best to get through the day. It is then that I truly understood the value of the Toyota system.

In the course of my consulting and while observing the final vehicle assembly line (sometimes referred to as the “money line”) in a Big Three plant, I noticed what appeared to be a tear in the carpet on the driver’s side floor. I happened to be standing with the supervisor at the time. My first reaction was to look for a way to stop the line. Of course there was no “cord,” as there is in Toyota, so I pointed out the tear to the supervisor and waited for a response. He looked and con- firmed that in fact the carpet was torn, and did nothing! I was pan- icked and confused. I asked him what we should do, and he told me that the problem would be fixed in the repair area. I asked if we should look for the source of the problem in case it was repetitive and received a shrug. “They probably already know” was the reply.

This was my first experience with this kind of situation, and I did not know how to react externally, but internally I was very anxious. This was a potentially serious problem. At the very least the line should be stopped and this vehicle should not be completed, because all work done on the interior after this operation would need to be “undone” at the repair

T HE T OYOTA W AY F IELDBOOK

area. This included removal of the seats and much of the interior trim work. I know that this type of major repair, in addition to being costly, almost assuredly results in a product that is inferior to the original work. Reworking and replacing trim and seats is a significant cause of “squeaks and rattles” after time, and those issues are very annoying to customers.

In the end we completely walked away from the problem. We did not go to the end of the line to make sure the defect was identified and the repair done (preventing the escape to the customer), nor did we go to find the source to prevent further occurrence. We simply left!

I came to understand many other underlying issues later. For example, if a supervisor (or other person) finds a problem and points it out to the worker, the worker could file a complaint with the union that they were being “badgered.” While the claim may be unsubstantiated, the hassle of dealing with it is greater than the the hassle of fixing the prob- lem later. The antagonistic environment between management and the workforce that has been honed for decades prevents cooperation (although I did find out that there are exceptional people who truly wanted to make things better). This is part of the culture that would need to change if the “stop the line” strategy was going to work here.

You don’t just announce to people, “Starting today, things will be different!” and suddenly the culture is changed. How do you change the supervisor who for the past 30 years has learned to survive within the old system? How do you change the mind-set about how people’s performance is measured? If people are measured on output, how will they respond? There is more to this than just deciding that from now on, we will stop to fix problems.

The following list includes many of the things you will need to do in order to be able to effectively create a “stop the line” culture and system. Note that when we refer to “stop the line,” we are also referring to stopping a machine or stopping the work process. It means that the work is halted when a problem is discovered.

1. Understand your current culture and why it developed.

2. Create a clear vision for change.

3. Pay attention to the respect and dignity of the people.

4. Establish a reasonable degree of stability in processes.

5. Have a method to stop the line.

6. The process must provide an audible and visual indication of the exact point of the problem. (Forget about paging systems!)

7. Have people designated to respond when the line stops.

8. Define the roles and procedure for response to problems.

Chapter 8. Build a Culture That Stops to Fix Problems

9. Change the measurement process from just quantity to built-in quality.

10. Teach people to solve problems.

11. Increase the urgency, and make it necessary to fix problems.